1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a musical signal processing device, and more particularly to a musical signal processing device for outputting audio data which is adapted to the tonal characteristics of input audio data.
2. Description of the Background Art
Various musical signal processing devices for outputting processed audio data by applying acoustic signal processing to input audio data to are conventionally available. Examples of such musical signal processing devices include: tone control devices such as graphic equalizers, compressors, and tone controls; acoustic effect devices such as reverb machines, delay machines, and flanger machines; and audio data editing devices such as cross-fading devices and noise reduction devices. Such devices enjoy popularity across a wide range of fields, from music production studios for business use to sound reproduction devices for consumer use. Moreover, the changes in the manner s of music distribution in recent years have led to the increasing prevalence of devices such as audio data compression encoders and electronic watermark data embedders. As such, musical signal processing devices are being utilized by producers at music producing entities, individual musicians, or general users who pursue music for their hobbies, etc., for the purpose of tone adjustment, musical creation, and pre-processing for (satisfying the range constraints or the like of) subsequent processes, among other applications.
FIG. 20 is a block diagram illustrating the general structure of a commonly-used conventional musical signal processing device. As shown in FIG. 20, the conventional musical signal processing device includes an input section 91 and an acoustic processing section 92. In accordance with a user instruction, the input section 91 outputs parameters to the acoustic processing section 92 which define conditions for the processing to be performed by the acoustic processing section 92. In accordance with the parameters received from the input section 91, the acoustic processing section 92 applies a predetermined processing algorithm to input data so as to output processed data. Thus, the musical signal processing device is capable of adjusting the tone of the output audio data based on the parameters as manipulated by the user via the input section 91.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 8-298418, a musical signal processing device has been proposed in which commonly-used terms or expressions can be utilized as a tone evaluation language for adjusting the tone of the device. This device allows a user to input his/her feeling about the tone of an output sound from the device by using terms or expressions which are commonly used as the tone evaluation language for sound reproduction devices, whereby settings of an FIR filter of a graphic equalizer can be established. As a result, general users who may lack in knowledge and/or experience in handling acoustic processing can easily perform a tone adjustment.
In conventional musical signal processing devices, when a user determines that the tone of an output sound (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9coutput tonexe2x80x9d) is inappropriate, the user takes the trouble of again setting the parameters of tone adjustment in order to obtain an appropriate Output tone.
However, the musical data to be processed by the aforementioned musical signal processing devices may have varying contents, so that the processes which are appropriate for the musical data may differ depending on its content. For example, musical data of certain contents may require an acoustic processing for enhancing the low-frequency components, whereas musical data of other contents may require an acoustic processing for enhancing the high-frequency components.
Therefore, in accordance with conventional musical signal processing devices, a set of parameters which have once been optimized by a user may not be optimum for a different kind of input data. In other words, conventional musical signal processing devices cannot perform acoustic processing in accordance with the content of input musical data.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a musical signal processing device capable of providing a tone which is adapted to the content of input musical data.
The present invention has the following features to attain the object above.
A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a musical signal processing device for applying predetermined acoustic processing to input musical data, comprising: an analysis section for analyzing acoustic characteristics of the input musical data to produce an analysis result; a parameter determination section for determining an acoustic processing parameter in accordance with the analysis result by the analysis section, the acoustic processing parameter being used for adjusting a tone of an output of the predetermined acoustic processing; and an acoustic processing section for applying the predetermined acoustic processing to the input musical data in accordance with the acoustic processing parameter determined by the parameter determination section.
Thus, according to the first aspect, it is possible to set an acoustic processing parameter in accordance with an analysis result representing the acoustic characteristics of input musical data. By employing such an acoustic processing parameter for changing the tone of the output musical data, it is possible to change the output tone in accordance with the analysis result, so that an output tone which is adapted to the contents of the input musical data can be obtained.
According to a second aspect based on the first aspect, the analysis section comprises: a characteristic value detection section for detecting a characteristic value representing characteristics of contents of the input musical data, the characteristic value being used as the analysis result; and an intermediate data generation section for generating intermediate data, wherein the intermediate data represents the characteristic value detected by the characteristic value detection section in terms of an index which is different from the characteristic value and which is in a form readily understandable to humans, and wherein the parameter determination section determines the acoustic processing parameter based on the intermediate data which is generated by the intermediate data generation section.
Thus, according to the second aspect, a characteristic value representing an analysis result of the input musical data is converted to intermediate data expressed by using an index which is in a form readily understandable to humans, and then an acoustic processing parameter is determined based on the index. Since the determination of the acoustic processing parameter from the characteristic value is generally made by using conversion rules, the conversion of the characteristic value to an index in a form readily understandable to humans facilitates the preparation of the conversion rules as compared to the case where the characteristic value is directly converted to an acoustic processing parameter.
According to a third aspect based on the second aspect, the intermediate data is genre information representing a genre in which the input musical data is classified.
Thus, according to the third aspect, genre information is employed as intermediate data in the process of obtaining an acoustic processing parameter from a characteristic value. It is presumable that the conditions for appropriate acoustic processing will be similar for any pieces of music (as represented by the input musical data) that are of the same genre or similar genres. Therefore, an appropriate acoustic processing parameter can be easily set by determining the acoustic processing conditions depending on the genre of a given piece of music. The use of genre information as intermediate data facilitates the preparation of conversion rules for obtaining an acoustic processing parameter from a characteristic value.
According to a fourth aspect based on the second aspect, the intermediate data is a feeling expression value representing a psychological measure of a user concerning a tone of music.
Thus, according to the fourth aspect, a feeling expression value is employed as intermediate data in the process of obtaining an acoustic processing parameter from a characteristic value. It is presumable that the conditions for appropriate acoustic processing will be similar for any pieces of music (as represented by the input musical data) that are associated with the same feeling expression value or similar feeling expression values. Therefore, an appropriate acoustic processing parameter can be easily set by determining the output tone depending on the feeling expression value. Thus, the use of a feeling expression value as intermediate data facilitates the preparation of conversion rules for obtaining an acoustic processing parameter from a characteristic value.
According to a fifth aspect based on the third aspect, the musical signal processing device further comprises a user input section for receiving a feeling expression value which is inputted by a user, the feeling expression value representing a psychological measure of the user concerning a tone of music, wherein the parameter determination section determines the acoustic processing parameter based on the feeling expression value which is inputted to the user input section and the genre information which is generated by the intermediate data generation section.
Thus, according to the fifth aspect, an acoustic processing parameter is determined based on the analysis result of input musical data as well as a user input. By thus allowing a user input to be reflected in the determination process of the acoustic processing parameter, it is possible to reproduce a tone which more accurately approximates the desire of the user.
According to a sixth aspect based oil the fifth aspect, the feeling expression value received by the user input section is of a different type depending on the genre represented by the genre information generated by the intermediate data generation section.
Thus, according to the sixth aspect, the type of feeling expression value which is inputted by a user varies depending on the genre of a piece of music represented by the input musical data. It is presumable that a different genre will call for a different set of expressions for expressing the tone of a given piece of music and that the meaning of each expression may differ depending on the genre. Therefore, a user can input a different type of feeling expression value(s) for each genre into which the contents of input musical data may be categorized. Thus, the user can achieve tone adjustment by employing appropriate expressions in accordance with each genre, thereby being able to arrive at the desired tone with more ease.
According to a seventh aspect based on the first aspect, the acoustic processing section is an audio compression encoder for applying data compression to the input musical data; and the musical signal processing device further comprises: a decoder for decoding an output from the audio compression encoder to generate decoded data; and a comparison section for comparing acoustic characteristics of the input musical data and acoustic characteristics of the decoded data from the decoder to detect a frequency range in which the acoustic processing parameter is to be modified, wherein the parameter determination section modifies the acoustic processing parameter with respect to the frequency range detected by the comparison section.
Thus, according to the seventh aspect, the acoustic characteristics of input data and the acoustic characteristics of output data which results after audio compression are compared in order to detect a frequency range in which the output tone is to be conceited. Based on the detected frequency range, an acoustic processing parameter may be set again. By thus modifying the acoustic processing parameter, any determination in the sound quality which might otherwise occur when the acoustic processing is an audio compression performed by an audio compression encoder can be substantially prevented.
An eighth aspect of the present invention is directed to a musical signal processing method for applying predetermined acoustic processing to input musical data, comprising: an analysis step of analyzing acoustic characteristics of the input musical data to produce an analysis result; a parameter determination step of determining an acoustic processing parameter in accordance with the analysis result by the analysis step, the acoustic processing parameter being used for adjusting a tone of an output of the predetermined acoustic processing; and an acoustic processing step of applying the predetermined acoustic processing to the input musical data in accordance with the acoustic processing parameter determined by the parameter determination step.
Thus, according to the eighth aspect, it is possible to set an acoustic processing parameter in accordance with an analysis result representing the acoustic characteristics of input musical data. By employing such an acoustic processing parameter for changing the tone of the output musical data, it is possible to change the output tone in accordance with the analysis result, so that an output tone which is adapted to the contents of the input musical data can be obtained.
According to a ninth aspect based on the eighth aspect, the analysis step comprises: a characteristic value detection step of detecting a characteristic value representing characteristics of contents of the input musical data, the characteristic value being used as the analysis result, and an intermediate data generation step of generating intermediate data, wherein the intermediate data represents the characteristic value detected by the characteristic value detection step in terms of an index which is different from the characteristic value and which is in a form readily understandable to humans, wherein the parameter determination step determines the acoustic processing parameter based on the intermediate data which is generated by the intermediate data generation step.
Thus, according to the ninth aspect, a characteristic value representing an analysis result of the input musical data is converted to and index which is in a form readily understandable to humans, and then an acoustic processing parameter is determined based on the index. Since the determination of the acoustic processing parameter from the characteristic value is generally made by using conversion rules, the conversion of the characteristic value to an index in a form readily understandable to humans facilitates the preparation of the conversion rules as compared to the case where the characteristic value is directly converted to an acoustic processing parameter.
According to a tenth aspect based on the ninth aspect, the intermediate data is genre information representing a genre in which the input musical data is classified.
Thus, according to the tenth aspect, genre information is employed as intermediate data in the process of obtaining an acoustic processing parameter from a characteristic value. It is presumable that the conditions for appropriate acoustic processing will be similar for any pieces of music (as represented by the input musical data) that are of the same genre or similar genres. Therefore, an appropriate acoustic processing parameter can be easily set by determining the acoustic processing conditions depending on the genre of a given piece of music. The use of genre information as intermediate data facilitates the preparation of conversion rules for obtaining an acoustic processing parameter from a characteristic value.
According to an eleventh aspect based on the ninth aspect, the intermediate data is a feeling expression value representing a psychological measure of a user concerning a tone of music.
Thus, according to the eleventh aspect, a feeling expression value is employed as intermediate data in the process of obtaining an acoustic processing parameter from a characteristic value. It is presumable that the conditions for appropriate acoustic processing will be similar for any pieces of music (as represented by the input musical data) that are associated with the same feeling expression value or similar feeling expression values. Therefore, an appropriate acoustic processing parameter can be easily set by determining the output tone depending on the feeling expression value. Thus, the use of a feeling expression value as intermediate data facilitates the preparation of conversion rules for obtaining an acoustic processing parameter from a characteristic value.
According to a twelfth aspect based on the tenth aspect, the musical signal processing method further comprises a user input step of receiving a feeling expression value which is inputted by a user, the feeling expression value representing a psychological measure of the user concerning a tone of music, wherein the parameter determination step determines the acoustic processing parameter based on the feeling expression value which is inputted by the user input step and the genre information which is generated by the intermediate data generation step.
Thus, according to the twelfth aspect, an acoustic processing parameter is determined based on the analysis result of input musical data as well as a user input. By thus allowing a user input to be reflected in the determination process of the acoustic processing parameter, it is possible to reproduce a tone which more accurately approximates the desire of the user.
According to a thirteenth aspect based on the twelfth aspect, the feeling expression value received in the user input step is of a different type depending on the genre represented by the genre information generated by the intermediate data generation step.
Thus, according to the thirteenth aspect, the type of feeling expression value which is inputted by a user varies depending on the genre of a piece of music represented by the input musical data. It is presumable that a different genre will call for a different set of expressions for expressing the tone of a given piece of music and that the meaning of each expression may differ depending on the genre. Therefore, a user can input a different type of feeling expression value(s) for each genre into which the contents of input musical data may be categorized. Thus, the user can achieve tone adjustment by employing appropriate expressions in accordance with each genre, thereby being able to arrive at the desired tone with more ease.
According to a fourteenth aspect based on the eighth aspect, the acoustic processing step comprises applying data compression to the input musical data to produce compressed data; and the musical signal processing method further comprises: a decoding step of decoding the compressed data to generate decoded data; and a comparison step of comparing acoustic characteristics of the input musical data and acoustic characteristics of the decoded data to detect a frequency range in which the acoustic processing parameter is to be modified, wherein the parameter determination step modifies the acoustic processing parameter with respect to the frequency range detected by the comparison step.
Thus, according to the fourteenth aspect, the acoustic characteristics of input data and the acoustic characteristics of output data which results after audio compression are compared in order to detect a frequency range in which the output tone is to be connected. Based on the detected frequency range, an acoustic processing parameter may be set again. By thus modifying the acoustic processing parameters any deterioration in the sound quality which might otherwise occur when the acoustic processing comprises audio compression can be substantially prevented.